NASCAR BGN: Jason Keller second in points heading to Nashville
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
April 10, 2001
About Texas. . . Jason Keller and the Albertson's Ford remain second in the points standings despite a 24th-place finish in the Jani-King 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. Keller was caught up in a wreck on lap three that kept the Albertson's Ford out of contention all day.
"The first couple of laps in the Albertson's Ford felt great," Keller said. "I wasn't having any problems passing the slower cars in front of me. Then the car in front of me slowed down due to a spin, I ran into the back of him and it was the domino effect from there. We had severe damage to the nose of the car, and as the water temperature began to rise I thought the radiator might have been damaged also. The guys kept working on the car and I kept driving it. It's disappointing, but the Albertson's crew did a great job making sure I could finish the race and finish in the top 25.
"Outcomes like this are going to happen. Hopefully we got it out of our system and can continue to amass top-10 and top-five finishes. Sitting second in the points standing after seven races keep us in contention for the championship and much better off than we were last year."
Nashville, The Unknown... Keller and the No. 57 team head to Nashville Superspeedway for the inaugural NASCAR Busch Series race. Only a few drivers have had the opportunity to test at the superspeedway, but Keller has confidence in the Albertson's crew.
"Neither Jeff (Green) or I have tested at the new track, so I'm not really sure what to expect. It's a culmination of different tracks. It has the concrete surface like Dover, but with relatively flat corners like Las Vegas and St. Louis. I know we're taking the car we ran at Las Vegas and I finished third there. I think we'll be fine after the four hours of additional practice we get on Thursday. This team adapts well."
A New Face In The Crowd... Ricky Turner joins the Albertson's Racing crew as a mechanic and front-tire changer. Turner, a North Carolina native, has been involved in racing for seven years and got his start as a volunteer. In 1994, Turner began working for Kevin Lepage at Lepage Motorsports. Turner's first race as an Albertson's crew member will be Nashville. Everyone at ppc Racing and Albertson's Racing would like to welcome Turner to the organization.
Text provided by Heather Kincel
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